The desirability of large area shelters has long been recognized, and many industries employ pavilionlike shelters to protect against the elements, such as sun, wind and rain. These tents are commonly used in commercial, fair, exhibit and party applications. One such example may be found in traveling shows and exhibits, such as merchandise exhibits, carnivals, and the like.
Historically, large area tents are believed to have been first used by traveling shows, such as traveling circuses which found it necessary to employ large area tents as a staging arena for the circus activities. Yet another example of the need for large scale tents was early recognized by the military with its need for large area tent structures which may be rapidly erected and disassembled. More recently, many car dealerships and other merchants have implemented temporary or permanently erected tent structures to provide additional space for their wares, such as automobiles, in order to protect their merchandise and to provide shelter for customers reviewing the merchant's goods. The need for large area tents has increasingly expanded into broader commercial and exhibit applications.
Despite the long felt need for large area tent structures, there has been surprisingly little development in the industry of large scale tents. The most prevalent example of such structures is the standard rectangular tent having one or more apex portions supported by central poles. The perimeter of the covering is supported by perimeter poles with the peripheral edge of the tent being staked by a plurality of spikes and guy ropes interconnect the perimeter to the spikes in order to tension the tent's covering after it is erected. Another example of the traditional large area tent is the circus tent wherein margins of the tent are preliminarily staked and center poles erected after which the apex portion of the tent is drawn up around the pole by means of pulleys. Block and tackles may then be employed to tension the tent against the stake elements.
More recently, though, there have been some efforts to create different tent structures which provide shelter and which are more aesthetically pleasing. These developments have, in part, stemmed from improvements in fabric technology, such as the development of lighter weight, stronger materials which more readily accept tension forces and which tend to better retain their shape under environmental conditions. However, even recent tent designs rely upon the old concept whereby corners of the tent covering are individually and sequentially stressed against a constant length, erected, center pole. As a result of this whole concept, even these improved tent structures, nevertheless, require a substantial period of time to erect and often require an entire crew of workers to accomplish the task.
Accordingly, there has been a long-felt need for large scale tent structures which are not only aesthetically pleasing but which can be erected quickly and conveniently. There is a further need for such tent structures that can be disassembled quickly and stored in a compact space and easily transported.